Forming apparatus



p 0, 1940. w. M ORSING FORMING APPARATUS Filed June 9, 1938 INVENTOR 1 W. MOPS/N6 A T FORNE Y Patented Sept. '10, 1940 UNITED STATES;

FORMING APPARATUS 'William Morsing, Irvington, N. J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 9, 1938, Serial No. 212,675

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a forming apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for overlapping the longitudinal edges of material in forming a tube.

During the advancement of the art of forming tubes of sheet material and forming sheaths on cores, considerable study has been made regarding the guiding of the side edges of the material into overlapping positions while bending the material longitudinally. The different types of materials employed in this art usually require different means to control or guide the edges of the material. I

Anv object of the present invention is to provide eflicient, accurate and adjustable means to guide edges of material into overlapping relation.

With this and other objects in view the invention comprises a material forming element with a longitudinal aperture for the passage of material being formed therethrough, the aperture decreasing in diameter from the entrance end, where the edges of the material are spaced from each other, to the exit end, where the edges overlap, the edges of the material travelling in separated grooves of a guide during the overlapping thereof, and the element and guide being rotatably adjustable for aligning the overlapping junction of the edges with a soldering means.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2; is a front elevational view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the guide forming part of the invention looking toward the exit end thereof. I

The present embodiment of the invention may be employed for forming various types of materials into tubes but was designed to be used in conjunction with the apparatus for making cables illustrated in my copending application Serial No. 115,566, filed December 12, 1936.

The apparatus is designed to receive preformed material, such as sheet material, bent longitudinally, for example, into circular cross section. A forming element I0 circular in cross section is rotatably mounted in an aperture I I of a housing or support I2. The support I2 is mounted upon a suitable base I3 and the upper surface I4 thereof intersects the aperture II to allow a desired portion of the element ID to project upwardly therefrom. Diametrically opposed integral arms I6 and I! of the element I0 have elongate arcuate apertures for the reception of lock screws I9 threadedly associated with the support I2 to permit adjustment of the element II] for a purpose hereinafter described. mounted upon or integralwith the arm I! provides means for-manually adjusting the element.

The element Ill is longitudinally apertured, as at H, the radius of the aperature decreasing from the entrance end indicated at 22 in Fig. 1 to the exit end 23. It will be observed by viewing Figs. 1 and 2 that the lowermost Wall 2| of the aperture lies in a plane parallel to the center line of the complete tube indicated at 25, whereas the upper walls of the aperture taper downwardly from the entrance end.

The upper portion of the element I0 is provided with a slot extending approximately half the length of the element with the side walls of the slot tapering inwardly to receive a tapered guide 36. The guide 36 may be removably secured to the element II] by any suitable means (not shown) or may be held in place by friction. Grooves SI and 32 are formed in the guide 30 as illustrated in Figs. 2' and 3. By viewing Fig. 2, which illustrates the entrance end of the apparatus, it will be observed that the grooves 3| and 32 are spaced from each other to separate the edges of preformed material 34. The upper walls of the grooves are formed to provide a continuation of the inner wall of the element l0 and the walls of the grooves completely house the material being formed at its longitudinal edges. The grooves 3| and 32 are so formed in the guide that throughout the length they are positively separated from each other by a portion 36. The. exact form of this portion or material 36 is not important but a general understanding of its formation may be had by viewing Figs. 2 and 3, particularly Fig. 3 which illustrates the grooves extending toward each other and overlapping to provide separate paths for the edges of the material being formed to guide them into overlapping relation.

In the present embodiment of the invention the material 34 consists of sheet metal transversely corrugated, which material as illustrated is formed A- handle about a core 38 to provide a sheath therefor.

brackets being supported by the base 13 upon which they may be rigidly mounted.

A soldering unit 42 of any suitable type is positioned to solder the overlapping edges of the material 34 after they pass from the element In and guide 30. The soldering unit 42 remains at a fixed position and is supported by any suitable means (not shown). It is important, however, that the overlapping edges of the material pass beneath the soldering unit at a predetermined position with respect thereto. It is possible to vary the relationship of the material 34 with the soldering unit to satisfactorily align the overlapping edges with the soldering unit by loosening the lock screws l9 and by the aid of the handle 20 rotating the element W relative to the support l2. After this adjustment has been made the locking screws may again be driven inwardly to hold the arms l5 and I1 together with the element against rotation relative to the support 12.

During the operation of the apparatus the preformed material 34 is moved to the right, Fig. 1, and as it approaches the entrance end 22 the spaced edges of the material enter the grooves 3 l and. 32. As the material passes through the aperture 2i the diameter of the material is de-- creased, causing the edges to follow the grooves into overlapping positions, the edges being continually separated from each other while being moved into overlapping positions.

The material thus formed continues in its advancement through the aid of the rollers 39 and 40 and is directed beneath a soldering unit 42, where solder is applied to secure the edges of the material together.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is illustrative only and may be widely modified and departed from in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited only by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a tube forming apparatus, means for forming and overlapping the edges of sheet material to form a tube including an element having continuous longitudinally extending grooves engaging opposite sides of and positively guiding both longitudinal edges of the material, said grooves engaging the edges of the material while still spaced apart circumferentially and being in the same plane at the entrance end of the element, thereafter becoming deeper and ending in parallel planes overlapping the edges of the material, and tapering tubular means surrounding said element to retain the edges in said grooves and cause the edges to converge into overlapping relation, said tubular means extending from a point where the edges are circumferentially spaced apart to a point where the edges are fully overlapped.

WILLIAM MORSING. 

